ESTIMATION OF THE POTENTIAL ZONE FOR GEOTHERMAL FIELD DEVELOPMENT BASED ON RADON GAS ANALYSIS IN SOIL AT NORTH PATUHA, CIWIDEY, BANDUNG DISTRICT

• Main Author: Ramadhan, Bagasputra
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/54404
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Based on Government Regulation Number 79 of 2014 concerning National Energy Policy, the use of new and renewable energy (EBT) must be prioritized. One of the new renewable energies is geothermal. The Indonesian archipelago is geographically located in the junction area between the Eurasian (Europe-Asia) Continent Plate, the Indian-Australian Plate and the Pacific Ocean Plate. The meeting between these plates makes Indonesia located in an ideal zone for the formation of a geothermal system. One of the starting points in developing geothermal prospects in Indonesia is by carrying out exploration activities. There is a preliminary exploration method to determine zones that have geothermal potential that is relatively cheap and effective from the surface, namely by analyzing the activity of radon gas in the soil that appears to the surface through the permeable zone. In this study, the determination of the potential zone was carried out by measuring the seventeen test well points. Measurements were carried out from July to December 2020. The measured radon gas concentrations have values of 156 Bq / m3 to 5.966 Bq / m3. High values of radon gas concentration were found at points TTN-01, TTN-02, TTN-03, TTN-07 and PA-02. The radon gas concentration value was then correlated with lithology, geological structure and descriptive statistical calculations. The lithological conditions did not have a significant effect on the measured value of radon gas activity. However, the presence of geological structures tends to influence the value of radon activity. Radon gas concentration values that have been correlated with several parameters are used to estimate the geothermal potential zone. From the analysis, it is suspected that there is one geothermal potential zone, namely a potential zone located north of the map around the TTN-03 point area in the Kawah Putih area, Rancabali.